Independiente del Valle will be the team to beat for FBC Melgar in the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana 2022. The Matagigantes has earned fame and respect for prioritizing work in its youth divisions, to the point of having a high-performance center with top-notch infrastructure.
Having a considerable number of homegrown players, it is not surprising that some have arrived in Peruvian football; one of them even played in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup with the Ecuadorian national team.
Washington Corozo
Washington Corozo joined the celestial team in 2019 and stood out for his great speed, although scoring goals was always a pending task. However, he managed to be called up by Gustavo Alfaro to play in the qualifiers and was on the field in Ecuador's victory against Paraguay (2-0). Currently, he belongs to Máquina Celeste, but is on loan to MLS' Austin FC.
Darlin Leiton
Darlin Leiton also came through the youth ranks at Negriazul, but did not have many opportunities in the Ecuadorian First Division and alternated between the senior team and the reserve squad. This year, he joined Alianza Lima and his luck has not changed; the last time he played for the blanquiazules was on June 26 against Ayacucho. The 21-year-old player entered the field almost at the end of the match and could do little to showcase himself.
Juan Sánchez
Another homegrown player from IDV is Juan Sánchez, who currently plays for Sporting Cristal and also does not have many chances in the first team. The last time he played was on July 3 against Carlos Mannucci and only saw action for four minutes.
Carlos Arroyo
A better present has Carlos Arroyo, who plays for Universidad San Martín. The 21-year-old forward has scored in the last two matches for Los Santos and has been playing several minutes.
When do Melgar vs. Independiente del Valle play?
The first leg of these semifinals will be played on Wednesday, August 31 at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium. The second leg will take place a week later, on September 7, at the Monumental de la UNSA stadium.